OHHHH WHAT'S IN A NAME?!

(two cookies to anyone who kwnos the movie that references)

Anyway...so i'm writing or working on a novel that has a rough basis about a nation where names aren't given to people untill they are 18 and like so many thigns, a name can make or break your progression throughout life. So my novel focuses on a charcater who is given a pretty...unusual and "foreshadowing" name in the world

But i'm kinda stuck. Do you guys have:

1) Any idea where a story focused on a naming ritual and the aftermaths of a given name could go? I want it to be kinda dystopian and such but everything is still swirling in my head. As a person with an unusal name IRL I like the concept of a naming story, I'm just completely lost where to go with it.

2) What type of process should be the naming cerenomy? A test of some sorts? Interview? Or what?

3) Any other ideas would be deeply loved!

Thanks so much!

"And I got down hearted..."

I once read a short story where people chose animal totems for a festival thingy. The whole thing was really something that the evil guys in charge let the commoners do to make them happy and complacent. The main character knew it, but participated anyway. She chose human as her totem.
There are also several stories where one's occupation is chosen by an authority figure (ex: The Giver, Starship) at a certain time.
Maybe it's something like that except with names?

How did you feel?

For the sakes of stopping society from falling apart you are going to have to let people have names before they're eighteen. But you could maybe make these "designations" or something, so numbers or similar. Then you get given or choose your real name when you come of age.

If the society chooses your name for you, I would imagine a dystopian conveyor belt. Some sort of multiple choice test that assigns you a name based on your likely career. Then you could work in some nice themes of people not liking the name they've been given, but it defines their fate and they become their name.

If you choose your own name I'd expect a much more personal ceremony, probably with family and friends and an official. A bit like a civil wedding - some kind of pre-written script and you then officially choose your name.

Yeah, I agree with what everyone else has said. Some authoritive figure or even a machine could chose the name based on their personality or job or something like that. And if the main character is given a name like hero or something, they could be the one who ends up saving the world somehow, by returning it to its former glory if its in a dystopian state.
Hope that helps

On the exact minute they turn eighteen, they adopt the name of the last person who died in that minute. The story could be about manipulating the timing of people with certain names.

WOW! So many great ideas! I really like Dan's Idea about the getting the name of the person who died the moment another is born but Isabella your idea is pretty amazing also. I did want to use something with a "True name" like concept that would be kept secret, thanks so much everyone for all the ideas!